Vitamin C and weight reducing drugs on brain ascorbic acid in guinea pigs.

A comparison has been made of the effects of d(+) fenfluramine, Mazindol and Diethylpropion on the changes in body weight and brain ascorbic acid concentrations in male and female guinea pigs receiving vitamin C-deficient diet daily with or without daily supplementary vitamin C for 24 days. Bodyweight increases initially; the subsequent decrease was more rapid in scorbutic male than in the female guinea pigs. The weight-reducing drugs prevented the initial rise in weight of these ascorbutic guinea pigs. Fenfluramine caused the greatest fall in weight in both sexes, the effect being more pronounced in the males. Supplementary vitamin C reduced the anti-obesity actions of fenfluramine, Mazindol and Diethylpropion. Brain ascorbic acid level in scorbutic guinea pigs was more significantly reduced by fenfluramine than by either Mazindol or Diethylpropion after 24 days administration. These drugs prevented the rise in brain ascorbic acid normally produced by supplementary vitamin C. The reduction brain ascorbic acid appears to be related to the loss of weight more in the males than in the females.